Audio Breakup with 1.3.8

[steve]

Audacity always opens at the default zoom level, but when you are ready to record it only takes a moment to:

• Start the recording.
• Press "P" (pause)
• Hold the Ctrl key down and press "3" a few times to zoom out
• Press "P" to un-pause and continue the recording. (the extra bit of recorded track can be deleted after the recording is completed).

[rj7500]

Hi, I'm getting frustrated. I updated to 1.3.13 and even after following all the advice I still get skipping when I record. I've closed all running programs except Audacity, put my Norton AV on Silent mode and even went through the task manager and deleted tasks that I thought were hogging memory. Still, I get the occasional skip which forces me to redo many audio projects in Audacity. I'm enclosing a pic of the task mgr as it is during a recording session. Can anyone detect what the problem is?

Thanks in Advance

Bob H

[kozikowski]

We must have been sleeping. Remember this?

now I'll take your advice and first reset the USB connection from the computer input to the AC powered hub.

You can't send audio through a hub. Further, the recommendation is to power the sound device from the wall, not the hub. The sound device must be powered from the wall and it must have a dedicated pathway to the computer.

Koz

[kozikowski]

Unlike doing a blur in Photoshop or recalculating a spreadsheet in Excel, audio doesn't wait. If the pathway isn't perfect, direct quality and very, very fast, there will be holes in the presentation.

Koz

[rj7500]

Hi Koz

You and your colleagues have always been a big help in the past and I assume your answers today were attempting to do the same and for that I thank you.

The Tascam A-D converter is a USB device that runs directly from my computer, not through a USB hub. It cannot be powered from an AC source. If Audacity requires that then I need to seen out another converter.
I've made the path as simple as possible, even zooming Audacity so that the screen needn't refresh as often. I was just hoping that by looking at the task mgr that you were able to point out some egregious error that I overlooked.

Thanks anyway for your help

Bob H

[kozikowski]

The two variations on USB sound devices are to power them directly from the computer, or power them from a wall-powered USB hub that doesn't do anything else. Many people try to run sound through a hub that's also running the mouse, keyboard, trackball, etc. etc. That doesn't work.

You never said the magic words "I thoroughly error checked and defragmented my hard drive." Defragmentation was mentioned at least once in the above thread. Audacity will not run into a hard drive that's filling up or badly fragmented, and it will get worse and worse as you go.

Defrag
-- Right Click Start > Explore > Right Click Local Drive C: > Properties (Used, Remaining)
-- Tools > Error Checking & Defragmentation

Production machines should have 15% to 20% free space to do any kind of editing, effects and filters. Audio (and video) are very big and take up a lot of room.

We're running out of ideas.

Koz

[kozikowski]

If you've never defragmented your hard drive, it could take a good long time. Plan a nice lunch. Use the machine for a day or two -- just enough to change one or two files -- and defrag again. It takes a very much shorter time each time you do it. About the third pass, it should be good enough to do audio production without stuttering -- assuming you have enough room.

If you have an almost full hard drive, do not defragment. The process will never complete -- at least not in our lifetime. Empty out the computer's attic, basement and garage, or put all your never-used data into an external drive and carry on.

You do backups of all your valuable stuff anyway, right?

Koz

[rj7500]

Hi Koz

I backup on a weekly basis.

Running XP SP3 with 207gigs out of 227 available. I have the maximum memory installed and I do defrag regularly. I also use CCleaner and PC Tuneup on a biweekly basis. And yes........we're running out of ideas.

[Edgar]

I'm going to jump in here because it seems to me y'all might be going astray. To reiterate, the original symptoms are that the OP hears "bad" stuff when playing audio but it is not always "the same bad stuff in the same spot". Almost all the solutions seem focused on getting a good recording, to me, this does not seem to be the problem.

First, some questions, does OP play audio with other apps, and if so is all well? Has OP tried recording with Windows Recorder and listening to the result outside Audacity?

Finally, what is the gain structure? There are a lot of possible places where "volume" can be manipulated, some are analog others digital. Generally, analog knobs have a "sweet spot" or unity gain; AFAICT, digital volume is different, you want all digital "knobs" all the way up to 100% (digital gain reduction is "lossy") and final volume control is done with an analog knob -- the one on your amp or powered speakers--never go past the "sweet spot". If there is no analog volume control on your system only use the final digital control in the gain path.

What you are describing really sounds to me like a bad output cable or connection especially since it is not always the same. Can you try other output methods (headphones, different cables etc.)?

[rj7500]

Hi Edgar and thank you for your input.

Let me start by saying that the problem began when I first downloaded Audacity1.3. The problem manifested itself as a small 'skip' much like the skip of a vinyl record that was jarred or scratched. I have eliminated about 90% of the problem by closing every open program and process except those needed to keep the computer running. I've even turned off my Anti Virus program which I know is a dangerous thing to do.

The audio being recorded is my voice coming from a good quality mic, through a Tascam USB 122 A to D converter and feeding the computer through a USB port directly into the computer. Volume is controlled through the analog input of the Tascam and the digital inputs to Audacity are set at max. The meter on Audacity is set to never peak and usually maxes out at around -6db.

My concern is the unreliability of the situation. I end up redoing a good portion of my recordings because of this tiny glitch in the system that I can't seem to control. I'm up for anyone's input and I'll supply as much information as needed.

I realize I've taken up a good deal of time in this forum and for that I apologize.

Thanks all
Bob H